CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Queens University of Charlotte head women's soccer coach Shannon Neely Noel is excited to announce the 2022 women's soccer schedule which features 18 total matches, including a pair of exhibition matches and seven contests at Dickson Field in Charlotte. The upcoming season is historic as the Royals will embark on their first season at the Division I level as a member of the ASUN Conference.
 
"This is an exciting time to be a part of and a fan of Queens Athletics," emphasized Coach Noel. "This year the athletic department will be making history by taking the field against D1 and ASUN competition and the women's soccer team is no exception."
 
The Royals slate opens in the Queen City for a pair of home contests with the season opener being Thursday, August 18 at 6:00 p.m. against UNC Wilmington. Following their inaugural Division I opener, the Royals will welcome Ball State over the weekend for a bout on Sunday, Aug. 21.
 
"Our team is set to play a non-conference schedule that will prepare us well for our first ASUN season which is highlighted by our season and home opener on August 18^th vs UNC Wilmington," explained Coach Noel. "This game will be the first D1 contest in Queens Athletics history, the first home contest, and the first official match in what will be a once in a lifetime season for our program."
 
Following their opening weekend, Queens will hit the road for an exciting four-game road test. The Royals will open the stretch at Mississippi College on August 25 before heading to West Florida for a Sunday showdown on August 28. The road stretch will continue with a Sunday affair at Morehead State on September 4 before Queens squares off against the 2021 SEC Tournament Champions in Tennessee on September 11 in Knoxville.
 
The Royals will then return home to open ASUN play with a pair of conference matches. Queens will play their ASUN opener on Thursday, September 15 when they welcome Florida Gulf Coast to Charlotte at 7:00 p.m. The weekend will wrap up with a Sunday matchup with Stetson on September 18.
 
The following weekend, Queens will get back on the road and head west for another pair of conference clashes. The weekend will open early with a match against the 2021 ASUN Tournament Runner-Up from Kennesaw State on Thursday, September 22. The Royals will then begin to make their way back east to square off against Jacksonville State on Sunday, September 25.
 
The Royals will wrap up September and open the month of October with consecutive home contests as the season begins to wind down. Queens will welcome North Alabama on Thursday, September 29 at 7:00 p.m. before hosting Central Arkansas on Sunday, October 2 at 1:00 p.m.
 
With four games remaining on the season, Queens will take one final road trip with three straight matches away from Charlotte. The Royals will head to Virginia for a Sunday afternoon affair with Liberty on October 9. The following weekend, the Royals will head to the sunshine state for a pair of conference contests. Queens will take on North Florida on Thursday, October 13 at 7:00 p.m. before closing out the road trip at Jacksonville on Sunday, October 16 at 1:00 p.m.
 
The Royals will wrap up the regular season in Charlotte on Saturday, October 22 when they welcome Austin Peay to Dickson Field. The match is slated to begin at 1:00 p.m. The 2022 ASUN Tournament will open the following weekend with first round games starting on Thursday, October 27. The Royals are eligible for conference tournament play beginning this season despite the four-year NCAA transition period.
 
Last season, the Royals posted a 16-5-1 overall record while making their third NCAA Tournament appearance in program history. The Royals reached the South Atlantic Conference Championship for a second straight year and took down the University of North Georgia in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. Queens was led by All-Conference standouts Erica Turner, Karen Juarez, Nia Gaither, Mia Manuel, Jada Palmer, and Megan Eastep.
 
In addition to their full schedule release, the Royals will also be playing a pair of exhibition matches prior to the season opener. Queens will face Furman on the road on August 8 before welcoming Winthrop to Dickson Field on August 14.
 
Fans can access the full schedule here. Stay tuned for more information regarding promotional events at home Queens Soccer games.
 
Be sure to follow the Royals Women's Soccer team on Twitter and Instagram to stay up to date on all the latest news and updates. Fans are also encouraged to follow Queens Athletics on social media to stay updated on all the Royals sports teams in action.